Online gaming question

Hey, i had had a chance to play the beta of Star Wars TOR at the weekend(extended 4-day gameplay) taking advantage of
the beta code i received from gamespot then redeeming it. Once i downloaded the game client it was alright. I should have
been connected to the game server. However, there are things i do not understand.

I downloaded the game client then set it up correctly. After that, " do not recall the order", i downloaded almost 20 gigabytes
content.

1) What i was curious about at first, did i download the game server in order to make the game run on my computer?

2) Secondly, if im wrong, what was that? I mean, in order to display the 3D environment in the game, should i get connected to the remote game server(receiving them from server) or if not, what is the purpose of game server?

3) Believe me im not into it but i see many links especially on youtube which indicates cracks of online games. How could this be
possible if that game needs authentication, do those bad guys steal content and make another server?

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Comments

dustinmurphy

IIRC, Star Wars TOC is based on the Hero Engine (which I have plenty of experience with on the dev side). The 20G of data you downloaded was the local repository cache (essentially ALL the playing files from the server). This is to reduce load times and bandwidth usage during play (otherwise, it would take an hour to get into the first level... trust me...) There are a few different reasons for the server, first off... without the server, there would be no MMO... you would not be able to play with multiple people. The server also has the latest repository. When you load into an area, the client does a diff check with the repository, and will download any NEW content. That way, the developers can make necessary changes, and you will see them reflected in the game. If Star Wars didn't change the player client, it also does a diff check when you load the game to make sure that you have the latest player client, and they may even have included a patching system so that you don't have to download the new content during play time. All of this is to speed up the loading process.

As for the cracks and stuff... there's ways to **** and crack even authenticated MMO's. I've seen some in the Hero Engine that have hopefully been fixed by the Star Wars dev team... as I was put in charge of figuring out a solution for our MMO.... unfortunately, I'm not a programmer, and I gave that task to our lead programmer to figure out. LOL

tpatt100

there are people out there who set up emulated servers so you can play not on the official ones but on another server or you set up your own local one.

thedrama

Excuses for having returned late. Thanks for your replies. Still, my mind is a little bit confused about what game servers are used for. Just another
example. I have been playing Guild Wars. Whenever i enter a new area, i am connected to the game server by the way, certain things are downloaded.

I wanna learn this. Is the only purpose being connected to the game server, downloading the game content?(especially for new areas) otherwise, what others?

Nevertheless, how do the players on the other side of the world find me in the game? by those servers?

dustinmurphy

The servers hold the location information of all players on it. That's how others can find you in the game.

The servers serve as a multi-purpose tool. They hold all the files and information your computer needs to allow you to play the game as well as they keep the information of other's locations so that you can see them when playing online.

thedrama

dustinmurphy wrote: »

The servers hold the location information of all players on it. That's how others can find you in the game. The servers serve as a multi-purpose tool. They hold all the files and information your computer needs to allow you to play the game as well as they keep the information of other's locations so that you can see them when playing online.

Well, one or two last question.

1) Are those players on the other side of the world connected directly to me or i connect to the server, they connect to the server and we meet
each other(the players around the world) because of game servers?

2) Once we downloaded all resources, do my computer act like both client(because of game client software) and server(because of game content)?
By the way, the client connects to the server on the same computer?

dustinmurphy

1. They are connected to the SERVERS which then holds the coordinates of each player's location. When your coordinates in the level correspond with other players, it renders their player on your screen.

2. Your computer is still the client, because it's connected to the server and downloads all the latest content from the server. Although you download the repository cache (which includes the game play files), you are still not a part of the server, you are a client.

The client connects to a server in a datacenter somewhere.

Generally, MMO's don't allow local play... only online play.

Forsaken_GA

thedrama wrote: »

Hey, i had had a chance to play the beta of Star Wars TOR at the weekend(extended 4-day gameplay) taking advantage of
the beta code i received from gamespot then redeeming it. Once i downloaded the game client it was alright. I should have
been connected to the game server. However, there are things i do not understand.

I downloaded the game client then set it up correctly. After that, " do not recall the order", i downloaded almost 20 gigabytes
content.

1) What i was curious about at first, did i download the game server in order to make the game run on my computer?

2) Secondly, if im wrong, what was that? I mean, in order to display the 3D environment in the game, should i get connected to the remote game server(receiving them from server) or if not, what is the purpose of game server?

3) Believe me im not into it but i see many links especially on youtube which indicates cracks of online games. How could this be
possible if that game needs authentication, do those bad guys steal content and make another server?

Simply put, the install exe you downloaded contained the launcher and some barebones structual files, as well as some installable prereqs (like directx, and I believe, the microsoft c distributible package) The large downloaded that followed contained the rest of the game, the executables, and the game content itself.